Somerville boys’ soccer begins postseason with win over Peabody

Sunday

Nov 5, 2017 at 1:32 AMNov 5, 2017 at 1:55 AM

By Matt Noonan / Correspondent

Three first-half goals, including a pair from Somerville junior Fernando Guerra, provided the host team with enough momentum to defeat Peabody, 5-1 in a Division 1 North boys’ soccer first-round game at Dilboy Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 4.

The win, Somerville’s 15th of the season, advances the Highlanders to the North quarterfinals Monday, Nov. 6, against visiting Boston Latin, starting at 3:30 p.m.

Boston Latin earned the trip to Dilboy Stadium as a result of a 2-1 win over Chelsea, also on Saturday. The two teams needed penalty kicks (5-4) to determine a winner.

"We have had such a great year, and that’s why you work so hard to be victorious in the regular season to get yourself in a good position to be in a good bracket as a high seed," said coach George Scarpelli.

"The other thing, being at home is important, so the good news is that we came out of this game a little bumped up, but hopefully still ready for Monday’s game against Boston Latin."

Before some physical play developed late in the second half, Somerville seized momentum 4:55 into the opening session, when senior Paulo Sergio Pereira Filho rifled a shot from outside the box on a free kick to give his teammates the lead that they would never relinquished.

Somerville extended its lead late in the half, when Guerra blasted a shot past Peabody senior goalkeeper Troy Cappos in the box, before heading home a cross from senior Jackson Braga roughly two minutes later, which gave the Highlanders a 3-0 advantage at the break.

The Highlanders netted two more goals midway through the second half, thanks to junior Andony Gutierrez Sanchez and first-year player Lucas Carey. Carey drilled home a deflected attempt from junior Josh Machado on the far side, while Gutierrez Sanchez found the back of his opponent’s cage off of a corner kick from the near side.

Gutierrez Sanchez’s strike did result in more potential goal-scoring opportunities, but Somerville’s various attempts either sailed wide or were denied by the Peabody backline or Cappos.

Peabody did eventually locate the back of the Somerville net late in the second session when senior Austin Silva directed a shot over the middle that bounced through a pair of defenders and junior goalkeeper Jackson Anderson.

Somerville held the advantage in shots and corners, while Peabody mustered just three scoring opportunities, including the lone strike they tallied late in the match.

The Highlanders’ defense, according to Scarpelli, has been a staple of the squad’s success this season, and will certainly be something the team will rely on to help beat Boston Latin on Monday.

"It’s funny, when you’re having a great year and you’re scoring a lot of goals, everybody talks about how great your team is with goal scorers. We wouldn’t be who we are without Jackson in goal, and Milton (Castro) at center back," said Scarpelli.

"The biggest piece is Alexis Figueroa, who plays so strong that he neutralizes the other team’s players, and then there’s Gustavo Mansilla as an offensive weapon in the back. The way he sets the play at that position is something I haven’t seen for a long time (in Somerville), so it is definitely fun to watch."

Added Machado of his team’s back line, "Without the defense, we can’t get the ball to the midfield, and without the midfield we can’t go on the attack, so it is just like when we practice every day it starts from the back line to the goal, and that is just part of our system, and for that reason it really helped us score a lot of goals tonight against Peabody."